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Free agent forward Jimmy Butler is expected to meet with the Miami Heat shortly after free agency opens on June 30, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Sources: Jimmy Butler expected to meet the Miami Heat in South Fla. Sunday. Butler/Rockets meeting likely early week in LA. Sixers haven’t ruled out working with Butler on sign-and-trades, which Miami and Houston need to acquire the All-Star guard.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2019
Butler played for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2018-19 after getting traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier in the season. With the Sixers, he averaged 18.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals. He helped the team secure the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but they were eliminated by the Toronto Raptors in the second round.
The Sixers have reportedly given general manager Elton Brand the green light to do everything he can to retain Butler, which is most likely what they're going to do. Philly can offer the former All-Star a max contract, something that the Heat can't do outright. Butler is also going to meet with the Houston Rockets, another team that will not be able to offer him the max without having to make some trades.
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Philly knows that they could lose Butler for nothing, as he is an unrestricted free agent. Aside from the Heat and the Rockets, big market teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets can also go after the 29-year-old forward. And unlike Houston and Miami, those four franchises have enough cap space to sign Butler to a max contract.
If the Sixers fail to convince Butler to re-sign with the team, they will most likely try to strike a sign-and-trade with either the Heat or the Rockets, as Woj reported.
Whether or not Butler will agree to that remains to be seen.
